Gaming devices (e.g., reeled slot machines, video poker machines, etc.) generate more than $15 billion per year in revenue for casinos in the United States alone. This revenue accounts for more than half of the total gaming revenue for a typical United States casino. The situation is similar in other countries and regions in which gaming devices are popular, such as Europe and Australia. Accordingly, casino operators are interested in increasing the enjoyment of playing a slot machine in order to maintain or increase this level of revenue.
Since casino profits are directly proportional to the amount wagered by patrons, casinos are highly motivated to expand and retain share within their given market. Play duration, average wager amount, and rate of play are significant factors contributing to the profitability of the slot floor of a casino.
One way in which casinos have sought to boost profitability associated with these factors is to make the machines as entertaining as possible. Many techniques are currently used to entertain players at a slot machine, such as the use of attractive colors and graphics, sound effects associated with winning payouts, and jackpots or bonus rounds that offer players the chance to win a large amount of money for only a small wager. While such efforts have made modern slot machines more entertaining than the previous generation of machines, competing entertainment options open to consumers have expanded. Casinos now compete not only with the casino across the street, but with alternative player entertainment options such as home theater systems, handheld video game devices, greatly expanded television and movie offerings, and the like. Accordingly, a need exists for enhancing the entertainment value of gaming devices.